Portraits from the life of the Prophet,

Subject: Portraits from the life of the Prophet, Sat Jul 09, 2011 1:09 am

Portraits from the life of the Prophet,

sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam.

The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) is the best person in morality, the noblest in lineage, and the most rightly guided. He had the best mentality and he was the most faithful in words and actions. Allaah blessed him with the best morals and manners as He said in His Holy Book:

{And verily, you (O Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) are on an exalted standard of character.}

[Quran 68: 4]

The following are some magnificent situations from the life of our Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, so that we might learn from him and take him as an example to be followed in all our affairs and matters.

Forgiving others

In the eighth Hijri year, Allaah granted victory to His slave and Prophet, Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, over the disbelievers of Quraysh . The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, entered Makkah victorious and triumphant. In front of the Ka'bah, all the people of Makkah stood in fear. They were thinking about what the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, would do to them after he defeated them. They knew well that they had harmed him before, put dirt on his noble head while he was prostrating to his Lord, and besieged him in Abu Taalib's mountainous passage for three years to the extent that he, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, and the besieged people (i.e. his followers) were forced to eat the leaves of trees. They also remembered that they had tried to kill him, severely tortured his companions, plundered their property and houses, and expelled them from their home town. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, reacted towards all these evil deeds by forgiving and pardoning them.

He said: "O you people of Quraysh! What do you think that I am going to do with you now?" They replied: "We think that you are going to treat us in a good manner

O noble brother and son of a noble brother!" The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: "Go, for you are free."

Once, the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, was walking with Anas, may Allaah be pleased with him. Anas, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated: "He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, was wearing a Najraani garment with a thick hem [Najraan is a town between Hijaaz and Yemen]. So, a Bedouin came and pulled the garment of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, so violently that I saw the marks of the hem of the garment on his neck. The Bedouin said in an insolent manner: "Muhammad, give me of the wealth of Allaah which you keep." The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) turned to him and smiled, and then ordered a gift (provision) to be given to him."

The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, marched to a battle in an area north of Hijaaz. On their way back, they passed by a valley full of thorny trees in the afternoon. So, the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, ordered the army to rest in this place. All the soldiers had slept, and the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, also slept under a very leafy tree on which he hanged his sword. After a while, the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, called the Muslims and they gathered around him. A Bedouin was sitting in front of him, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: "This man seized my sword while I was asleep. I woke up and found my sword in his hand. He told me: "Who would hold me back from killing you now?" The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, with complete faith and trust in Allaah, answered: "Allaah will." Then, the Bedouin shook violently and the sword fell from his hand. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, took the sword and told him: "Who would hold me back from killing you now?" The man said: "Nobody." The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, set the man free and did not treat this Bedouin in the same way that he had treated him, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam. The man embraced Islam and returned to his people. He told them about the excellent manners of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, and how he forgave and pardoned others. So many people of his tribe embraced Islam when they heard this.

Bravery

After Allaah gave victory to His Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, in conquering Makkah, many Arab tribes embraced Islam overwhelmingly. Nonetheless, some tyrant tribes, like Hawaazin and Thaqeef refused to embrace Islam and even decided to launch a war against the Muslims. So, the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, set out to meet them in a battle with an army of twelve thousand Muslims. This was in Shawwaal, 8 A.H. At dawn, the Muslims headed towards the valley of Hunayn, unaware that the polytheist army was hiding in its narrow passes. The enemy battalions fiercely started their attack on the Muslims who fled out of surprise. Only a small number of Muhaajiroon (migrants) remained steadfast with the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, during this critical situation. At this point, the unparalleled bravery of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, was manifested as he headed his mule towards the enemy saying in great steadfastness and confidence: "I am the Prophet undoubtedly; I am the son of `Abdul-Muttalib". Then the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, ordered his uncle Al-'Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, to call his companions. Noticing the courage and the steadfastness of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, the Muslim battalions returned one after another and they were engaged in a bitter fight with the polytheists and in a few hours, the Muslims changed the defeat into a great victory.

One night, the people of Madeenah heard a strange noise which extremely frightened them. The Muslims woke up in fear thinking that an enemy was attacking them. They set forth in the direction of the sound when Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) met them on his way back after having already patrolled the area. He was on a horse which had no saddle, and a sword was slung round his neck, and he was saying: "There was nothing to be afraid of." The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, ordered the companions to return home after he had checked the situation himself. The bravery and chivalry of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, made him check the matter personally before any other Muslim had done so.

Generosity

- The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, was the most generous of all people.

It never happened that Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) was asked for anything and he withheld it. Once a poor person came to him asking for charity and he gave him a large flock of sheep and goats which filled a valley between two mountains. When the man went back to his people, he was very happy with this great gift and he called his people to embrace Islam and to follow the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam. He told them about the unparalleled generosity of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, and that he had given so much charity that it seemed as if he did not fear poverty or want.

Trustworthiness

- Even before Islam, the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, was known among the people of Makkah to be righteous, truthful and honest. They called him "the trustworthy honest person." The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, was trusted by all the people of Makkah. Anyone who possessed money or valuable property and was afraid that it might be stolen or lost, would deposit it with the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, because they trusted him. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, used to keep these deposited trusts and return to their owners whenever they asked for them. When the harm and torture from the disbelievers increased, Allaah permitted His Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) to migrate to Madeenah. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, had many deposits given to him by the disbelievers and other people. The trustworthy honest Prophet did not migrate until he had charged his cousin, 'Ali Ibn Abu Taalib, to remain in Makkah in order to return these deposits to their owners even though they were conspiring to assassinate him, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam!

Consultation and cooperation

In the fifth Hijri year, an army of the Quraysh polytheists and some Arab tribes assembled around Madeenah. There were about ten thousand men. They were encouraged by the Jews to do so. When these allies reached the walls of Madeenah, the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) consulted his noble companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, about a plan to defend Madeenah. Salmaan Al-Faarisi said: "O Messenger of Allaah! When we were threatened with being besieged in Persia, we used to dig trenches to defend ourselves."

The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, liked his idea and acted according to it. So, he, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, urged his noble companions to dig the trench as this was not known to the Arabs before. Indeed, he participated in the actual work of digging and carrying sand. Owing to consultation, cooperation, love and true faith, Allaah protected Madeenah against the polytheist armies. He sent a violent storm that tore their tents apart and forced them to return after they had lost the battle.

Justice and equality

The people of Quraysh became very worried about the lady from Banu Makhzoom who had committed theft. They were very worried because of the legal penalty that would be imposed on her and her hand be cut and not about the theft itself. The noblest of the Quraysh people met hoping to figure out a way to thwart the execution of the penalty on this woman. They said: "Nobody can speak in favor of the lady to Allaah's Messenger and nobody dares do so except Usaamah, may Allaah be pleased with him, who was the most beloved person to Allaah's Messenger."

When Usaamah, may Allaah be pleased with him, accepted to intercede for them and he spoke to Allaah's Messenger about that matter, Allaah's Messenger became very angry and condemned Usaamah for interceding to violate one of the legal punishments of Allaah. Usaamah, may Allaah be pleased with him, realized his mistake and asked the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, to seek forgiveness for him.

The nations before were destroyed because if a noble person committed theft, they used to leave him, but if a weak person did so, they used to punish him. Islam came to treat all the people equally with regard to their rights and obligations. He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, applied the corporal punishments on everyone and said: "By Allaah, if Faatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, committed theft, Muhammad would cut off her hand!" Then he, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, executed the corporal punishment on the thief (Quraysh woman) by having her hand amputated.

After that, the woman sincerely repented and got married. She used to go to the house of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, where she received the best treatment and care.